On 24 December 1971, Tropical cyclone Althea swept across Townsville, resulting in three deaths.

• Ninety per cent of the Magnetic Island houses were either damaged or destroyed.
• At Bowen, two tornadoes caused damage to both trees and houses.
• There was major flooding in Burdekin, resulting in a storm surge measuring 2.9 metres in the Townsville Harbour and a 3.66 metres storm surge north at Toolakea. Although the Toolakea storm surge occurred at low tide, the surge and large waves caused extensive damage along the Strand and at Cape Pallarenda.

The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the 1971 damage at $25 million, with the 2012 estimated normalised cost of $648 million.